Some sad Stats - sales from my shop

[John Beaulieu]

Capcom's business model is hardly the same as EA's.

You think?

the business model for any publisher is to make money - and publishers know that if they can get a successful franchise up and running then they will make that money.

don't make out that capcom aren't guilty of doing this - they are as guilty as any publisher on the planet - hence the countless streetfighter sequels/spinoffs (puzzle fighter 2 is a sf spinoff), the countless biohazard sequels/remixes/re-releases/spinoffs etc etc - Capcom are as sequel happy as EA are (arguably you could say they are even more so). Do you really think we will ever see a viewtiful joe 2 if this one doesn't sell to expectations?

your final point really hit the nail on the head ...

I'd be hard pressed to find another publisher who constantly creates new franchises.

Capcom are in the business of searching for franchises - once they have that initial 'hit' then the franchise is born, i doubt we will see franchises of the games which haven't done as well in the marketplace (such as VJ, Chaos Legion, PN03 etc etc) whereas some devs/publishers do make franchises of games which haven't been as successful.

not wanting to seem as though i am picking on Capcom alone here - both Sega and Namco are franchise-happy as well - just do a search on how many games have been released in the Sonic franchise, or VF franchise (in fact you could pick one from dozens of franchises that Sega have on their books) - and lets not pretend that Namco are innocent ....

all publishers need their franchises to help finance the games which don't sell that well - and they want that big franchise all the time. Look how the Tombraider franchise helped finance Eidos - which helped finance games such as Deus Ex which now has its own franchise which will lead to....

camps

[Max M]

I realise all publishers want to make money, but the fact is, some are more willing to take risks than others even if it doesn't make the most financial sense. I find it hard to believe that Capcom made any profit on Tekki for instance, but they still went ahead with it because presumably it was something that team really wanted to create. And they're release an online sequel for it, even though it wasn't a mainstream hit.

[Bomberman UK]

Surely the obvious difference is that Capcom, Sega and Namco went to the trouble of creating the franchises they call their own, while EA just bought a license?

[Kron]

3 updates per year (we/we evo and we j-league - whoops almost forgot the u-21 iterations released some years) - minimal gameplay changes whilst altering squads/player kits etc (hmmmmm would this be termed as the gloss from the above point?). hypocrisy anyone?

Hardly, Your not even keeping it in context.

[buster_broon]

Games sold that were released today

ikaruga

gc = 1

amended your post if you just will get in touch - trying to think its difficult to buy 1 game

[John Beaulieu]

Bomberman UK - yes they only bought the license and the games came along ready made - they develop the games with the license in mind, and they pay the big bucks to ensure that they have said licenses

Kron - how am i not keeping it in context? EA get slated for yearly updates when their nearest competitors (in the genre) release 3 or 4 versions of the same game in Japan alone, lets not even go into the territorial releases in the US and Eur. why do people buy all of these releases (i buy 2 of them and i know there are forum members who buy 3 or even all 4) - its for upto date strips/squads etc - which you refer to as 'gloss' when its EA doing it (though EA make sure that the squads are upto date with the current season before they release Fifa in the first place). whoops i forgot - its because the gameplay is technically strong 8)

camps

[Bomberman UK]

Bomberman UK - yes they only bought the license and the games came along ready made - they develop the games with the license in mind, and they pay the big bucks to ensure that they have said licenses

The point is, it's easier for EA to have a hit and people will buy the games regardless of the quality (Look at the success of things like Agent Under Fire) just because they recognise the brand name. Publishers who make original content need to make more of an effort.

[sithlordx]

Firstly I didnt start this thread to dis Fifa, I have played and find it quite good fun and is a vast improvement over the previous installments.

Pro Evo 3 has sold 86 copies in two weeks selling at ?29.99 but thats about sold out - we are a small indie - I just work there at the moment.

Viewtiful Joe sold 1 copy today

Never Mind

[John Beaulieu]

which indie is it you work in?

camps

[C']

I've never been able to find any indies in Manchester. Only GAME and Gamestation. Where you at?

[John Beaulieu]

i know theres Ringo's which used to be in the corn exchange but moved to near Afflecks Palace - and Neweastgames which is situated on Queens St - only other i know of is in Dukenfield

got 3 or 4 in Bolton though

camps

[C']

i know theres Ringo's which used to be in the corn exchange but moved to near Afflecks Palace - and Neweastgames which is situated on Queens St - only other i know of is in Dukenfield

got 3 or 4 in Bolton though

camps

I've been to NewEastGames but they seemed to have very little games stuff when I dropped in (over a year ago now) seemed to be all VCDs and stuff.

I'll have a look for Ringo's next time I'm there.

[Plisken]

I work in Gamestation and so far we have only sold 3 out of 10 copies of VJ, one staff sale (me), the other a friend of mine and the other i recommended to a fellow buying a new ?80 cube who wanted something 'different', having said that we've shifted over 100 copies of Pro Evo and over 100 copies of FIFA 2k4 in it's first weekend.

Not only that but i have actually put Viewtiful Joe on the telly on the counter, i've even left the pad out so people can try it, everyone loves it ( except cheeky schoolkids who said it looked like a kids game, then they wanted a go, so i told them to bugger off) but no-one's buying - EH?

[Brats]

Firstly I didnt start this thread to dis Fifa, I have played and find it quite good fun and is a vast improvement over the previous installments.

Thank you. At least someone else sees sense .

[Bomberman UK]

Viewtiful Joe entered at number 18 in the full price charts.

Not too bad for a 'niche' game after all.